Ambient particulate matter (PM) is a critical environment pollutant that promotes the onset and aggravation of respiratory diseases such as asthma through airway inflammation and hypersecretion of mucus. In this study, we aimed to identify the effects of fucoidans isolated from sporophylls of Undaria pinnatifida on asthma symptoms such as the inflammatory response and mucus secretion using a mouse model. Balb/c mice, intraperitoneally sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA, 10 μg) dissolved in 200 µL saline and 2 mg Al(OH)3, were exposed to PM (5 mg/m3) for 7 consecutive days. In parallel, along with PM exposure, we orally administrated fucoidans (100, 400 mg/Kg) or prednisone (5 mg/Kg), an anti-inflammatory drug. We found that oral administration of fucoidans significantly attenuated PM-induced lipid peroxidation and infiltration of inflammatory cells like F4/80+ macrophages, Gr-1+ granulocytes, and CD4+ T lymphocytes. Fucoidans also attenuated the level of PM-exacerbated IL-4, a primitive cytokine released in Th2 mediated eosinophilic asthma. This further suppressed mast cell activation, degranulation and IgE synthesis of PM exposed mice. Interestingly, fucoidans attenuated PM-exacerbated mucus hypersecretion and goblet cell hyperplasia. Therefore, our results suggest that fucoidans are effective at alleviating PM-exacerbated allergic asthma symptoms by attenuating the airway inflammatory response and mucus hypersecretion.
Keywords: airway; asthma; fucoidan; inflammatory response; mucus hypersecretion; particulate matter.